Awards

2017 Michael L. Printz - YA Best BooksAn award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in Young Adult Literature

2017 Winner

MarchBy John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

This graphic novel is the conclusion of the March trilogy, a gripping autobiographical account of Congressman John Lewis’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. It follows Lewis’s involvement with the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the March on Selma, concluding with a call to action for today’s youth.

2017 Honor Books

Asking for It
By Louise O'Neill

After a party, Emma Donovan is found dumped outside her house with no recollection of the previous night. Pictures go viral showing her being raped. Lacking support from her small Irish town, Emma becomes a shell of her previous self, struggling with the question of whether she asked for it.

The Passion of Dolssa
By Julie Berry

This beautiful historical epic tells the tale of Dolssa, an accused heretic on the run, and the three sisters who find and help her during the time of the Inquisition. Through recollections and testimonies, Dolssa’s layered story unfolds across time periods with rich language and historical detail.

Scythe
By Neal Shusterman

In a future where death has been eradicated, scythes are selected to control overpopulation by “gleaning” random members of society. Teens Citra and Rowan are selected as apprentices and are thrust into a world of political intrigue. “Scythe” is a powerful examination of ethics, humanity and the flaws of immortality.

The Sun is Also a Star
By Nicola Yoon

It is Natasha's last day in New York City, where she has lived for 10 years. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica after her father's arrest for drunk driving. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. She wants the normal teen existence of her peers. Meanwhile, poetic Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. Events slowly conspire to bring the two leads together.

2017 Teen Book Alex Award Winners: The Alex Awards are given to 10 books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12-18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing.

The Queen of Blood, by Sarah Beth Durst
Daleina is determined to keep her family safe from vengeance-seeking spirits, placing her in the crossfire of an insecure queen and powerful spirits.

The Regional Office is Under Attack!, by Manuel Gonzales
Fraught with explosive action, female assassins, teenage crushes, and even a cyborg, this fast-paced, dynamic story of revenge explores what happens to a group of woman hell-bent on defending the world from evil forces.

In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford,
After Diane Guerrero returned home from school one day to find her family deported, the 14-year-old went on to combat self-injury and suicidal thoughts, finish her education, and to become a successful actress and citizenship activist.

Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded, by Hannah Hart
Candid and thoughtful, Hart’s memoir details her difficult childhood and rise to internet fame.

Arena, by Holly Jennings
Virtual gaming: Kali's team is competing to win, not to die.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Sometimes kids disappear. Sometimes they come back. And when they come back, they need a place to go. At the Home for Wayward Children, everybody has a story, and some stories have better ending than others.

Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable-Path Adventure” by Ryan North
Take the lead in this choose-your-own-adventure graphic novel. Fantastic, dense illustrations draw you into a Romeo and Juliet retelling like none other you’ve ever experienced. Romance isn’t dead and in the end, maybe Romeo and Juliet aren’t either.

Die Young with Me: A Memoir, by Rob Rufus
A story of punk rock, first love, cancer and the incredible power of music to get us through the hardest times in our lives. Rufus details his brave fight for his life in this tender and contemplative memoir.

The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar, by Matt Simon
Simon explores the benefits of evolution, in these odd yet compelling stories that range from creatures adapting to find food to having sex.

The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko, by Scott Stambach
He has no arms or legs. She has blood that is betraying her. They are the smartest people in the children’s hospital and the only ones who understand, and they take “star-crossed lovers” to a whole new level.